Hollywood hasn't got a monopoly on sequels. The Artists Behind the Desk Series, showcasing performances and artwork by MIT support staff members, plans a Part III this fall.
Originating in fall 1989 with a juried exhibition in Compton Gallery and expanding five years later to include a concert and reading series in Killian Hall, the Artists Behind the Desk series allows support-staff artists at MIT to present their sometimes hidden artistic talents and abilities.
During October and November, concerts and readings of original poetry, prose and plays will be offered in Killian Hall and in Kresge Little Theater, along with an exhibition of visual artworks in Compton Gallery. The series is sponsored by the Working Group on Support Staff Issues and the Council for the Arts at MIT, with support from the music section and the MIT Museum.
Organizers hope the series will again "provide an opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate and display the otherwise unsung artistry of MIT's support staff personnel," according to Paul Rivenberg of the Plasma Fusion Center and Trudy Morris of the Housing Office, co-chairs of the Artists Behind the Desk Task Group.
The visual artists, writers and musicians whose works will be presented will be drawn exclusively from the more than 1,600 support staff employees at MIT and Lincoln Laboratory. Only members of the support staff will be considered for inclusion, with the exception of staff members who are active members of the Working Group.
"MIT is fortunate to have talented members of the support staff who are also willing to share with the entire community," said Joan Rice, vice president for human resources, in her letter of support for the Working Group's grant proposal to the Council for the Arts.
Tapes, manuscripts and slides of work are due by noon on Friday, July 11. For submission guidelines and entry forms or to help get this show on the road--or into Compton, Kresge and Killian--contact a member of the Task Group: Lisa Feltner, <lfeltner@mit.edu>, x3-7156; Mary Pat McNally, <mcnally@psfc.mit.edu>, x3-0857; Ms. Morris, <rainbow@mit.edu>, x3-4954; Mr. Rivenberg, <rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu>, x3-8101; or Kate Schenck, <kates@mit.edu>, x3-5921.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 21, 1997.
